Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 003.djvu/100

 travailed 4 miles from its first aboad. Indeed it met with this advantage, that till it came into this Town, all the ground, it past over, was almost of as mutinous a nature as it self, and wanted nothing but such a Companion to set it free, and to sollicit it to this new Invasion. All the opposition it met with in its Journy hither, was from one Farm-house, which stood within a mile and a half from its first source. This the Owner at first endeavour'd to have secur'd by force and building of Bulworks against the Assaults thereof; but this wing'd Enemy was not to be so oppos'd: which, after some dispute, the Owner perceiving, did not only slight the former Works, but all his Fences, and what else might obstruct the passage of this unwelcome guest, and in four years effected that by a Compliance and Submission, which could never have been done upon other terms: In which he was so successful, as that there is scarce any footsteps left of this mischievous Enemy.

'Tis between 30 and 40 years, since it first reacht the bounds of this Town; where it continued for 10. or 12 years in the Out-skirts, without doing any considerable mischief to the same. The reason of which I guess to be, that its Current was then down-hill, which shelter'd it from those winds, that gave it motion. But that Valley being once past, it went above a mile (up-hill) in two months time, and over-ran 200 acres of very good Corn the same year. 'Tis now got into the body of this little Town, where it hath buried and destroy'd divers Tenements and other Houses, and has inforc'd us to preserve the remainder at a greater charge than they are worth. Which doubtless had also perisht, had not my affection to this poor dwelling oblig'd me to preserve it at a greater expence than it was built: Where at last I have given it some Check, though for 4. or 5. years our Attaques on both sides were with so various success, as the Victory remain'd very ambiguous. For, it had so possest all our Avenues, as there was no passage to us but over two Walls of 8. or 9. foot high (which incompass'd a small Grove before my house, now almost buried in the Sand;) nay, it was once so near a conquest, as at one end of my house it was possest of my Yard, and had blown up to the Eves of most of my out-houses. At the other end it had broke down my Garden-wall, and stopt all passage that way.

Rh